Each state's university nickname

[highwayman]

So, what is the rationale of giving names like Hoosiers and Hawkeyes Cs, but Sooners A+? I see no difference in terms of the fact that the meaning of the name might not be known.

Also the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers originally had nothing to do with the animal. There was a land rush, just like in Oklahoma. People who went early (going for the land) were Go-fers. It evolved into the Gophers, then Golden Gophers. The animal logo came much later (1950's). So, if you like Sooners, you gotta like Gophers.

I always thought Sooners was a sexual problem...

[winghaz]

Also the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers originally had nothing to do with the animal. There was a land rush, just like in Oklahoma. People who went early (going for the land) were Go-fers. It evolved into the Gophers, then Golden Gophers. The animal logo came much later (1950's). So, if you like Sooners, you gotta like Gophers.

I did know about that. Remember, I'm a Moorhead State (now Minnesota State Moorhead, and I hate that name) alum. The problem, though, is people identify the Gophers with the animal. As do colleges called Tigers or other critters that were actually named for something noble, but carry on the animal symbol that is just too common a nickname. As for the Gophers, no matter how bulky they may build up the Goldy the Gopher mascot, it's still a gopher.

It is too bad, though, that most people seem to refer to them as the Gophers rather than the Golden Gophers. After all, it was beloved broadcaster (and former newspaperman) Halsey Hall who coined the term Golden Gophers.

[buzzcut]

Doing the Minnesota ones before someone else does:

University of Minnesota System

Twin Cities: Golden Gophers

Crookston: Eagles

Duluth: Bulldogs

Morris: Cougars

Minnesota State University System(4-year schools only)

MSU Mankato: Mavericks

MSU Moorhead: Dragons

Bemidji State: Beavers

Metropolitain State: None(No athletics program)

St. Cloud State: Huskies

Southwest Minnesota State(Marshall): Mustangs

Winona State: Warriors

[random_ax]

In light of a lot of comments about nicknames in general, I decided to rate the different nicknames for each state's main university.

The best nicknames represent their state or state history well and appear powerful.

On three of them -- Louisiana, Ohio and Pennslvania -- I'm going with Louisiana State, Ohio State and Penn State because they are generally considered their state's main univer ities. On New Jersey, I'm going with Rutgers because I can't find a University of New Jersey.

Alabama Crimson Tide: D. Doesn't get an F only because everybody associates Crimson Tide teams with Alabama ... but that's putting the cart before the horse.

*Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks: A-plus. Fantastic nickname. Very Alaskan.

Arizona Wildcats: C. Too generic.

Arkansas Razorbacks: C. OK name. Different. But not great.

California Bears: A. The bear has always been associated with California.

Colorado Buffaloes: B. Good solid nickname, good with the state.

Connecticut Huskies: A-minus. It's a nickname you don't associate with Connecticut, but when you turn it into UConn it sounds like Yukon, and becomes extremely clever.

Delaware Blue Hens: D. Awful name that would be an F if it wasn't associated with Delaware.

Florida Gators: A-plus. Powerful nickname and strongly represents the state.

Georgia Bulldogs: C. Too generic.

Hawaii Warriors: C. Would have been a B or higher had they kept Rainbow Warriors.

Idaho Vandals: C-minus. Weird nickname, not very representative of the state.

Illinois Illini: A. What other state would have Illini as its nickname?

Indiana Hoosiers: C. Very representative of the state, but what's a Hoosier?

Iowa Hawkeyes: C. It's the Hawkeye state, but why?

Kansas Jayhawks. A-minus. Pretty representative of the state's history.

Kentucky Wildcats: C. Too generic.

Louisiana State Tigers: D. Too generic and not representative of the state.

Maine Black Bears: A-minus. Good name for the state. Better than Lobsters.

Maryland Terrapins: D. Terrapins? Fear the turtle nickname.

Massachusetts Minutemen: A-plus. Fantastic nickname for Massachusetts.

Michigan Wolverines: A-minus. Powerful nickname and it's the Wolverine state.

Minnesota Gophers: D. Minnesota may be the Gopher state, but is that something to be proud of?

Mississippi Rebels: C. That high because it represents Mississippi's history, that low because if you were African American, would you want to be proud of that history?

Missouri Tigers: D. See LSU.

Montana Grizzlies: A-plus. Same reason as Florida Gators.

Nebraska Cornhuskers: C. Representative of the state, but kind of weird.

Nevada Wolfpack. B-minus. Good name, but a little generic.

New Hampshire Wildcats: C. Too generic.

New Jersey -- Rutgers Knights: C. Too generic.

New Mexico Lobos: B. Good, solid nickname.

*New York -- SUNY Great Danes: B-minus. Unique, but not very New Yorkish.

North Carolina Tar Heels: A. Read some history about what Tar Heels means in North Carolina. Great name.

North Dakota Fighting Sioux: A-minus. Great name, but I can think of even better tribes from North Dakota that are more worthy, such as the Mandans, the Arikara and the Hidatsa. If you're not PC, that is.

Ohio State Buckeyes: D-minus. It represents Ohio, but Buckeyes??? A nut???

Oklahoma Sooners: A-plus. Fantastic name for Oklahoma.

Oregon Ducks: F. Ducks???

*Penn State Nittany Lions: A-minus. Great name and represents Pennsylvania, even though there may not have been mountain lions in the Nittany Mountains (from what I read).

Rhode Island Rams: C-minus. Generic name, and how does it represent Rhode Island?

South Carolina Gamecocks: C. Solid name, but it's still a chicken.

South Dakota Coyotes: B-minus. Like the Nevada Wolfpack, a solid name, but a little generic.

Tennessee Volunteers: B. Good name for the state.

Texas Longhorns: A. Great name. Would be A-plus except for the fact that many Longhorns went on to become steaks.

Utah Utes: A. Like the Illinois Illini, what other team would be called the Utes?

Vermont Catamounts: B-minus. Unique nickname, but maybe a little too unique.

Virginia Cavaliers: B. Good, solid nickname with some historical ties.

Washington Huskies: B. Good, solid nickname. Would be even better for a team in Alaska.

West Virginia Mountaineers: A. Very representative of the state.

Wisconsin Badgers: D. See Minnesota Gophers.

Wyoming Cowboys: A-plus. Powerful nickname and very representative of the state. So much so that there's a cowboy on the state's licene plate -- the same logo that adorns the university's football helmets.

* Corrected from first post.

You question Hoosiers but not Sooners? You call a gamecock (a fighting rooster as in cockfights) a chicken? Razorbacks is an excellent name....unique. A badger is known to be a tough little varmint and colleges sometimes go for "cute" animals rather than predators. A badger is hardly like a gopher.

[Leonard]

Allow me to throw in a couple of university nicknames:

Baylor Bears

Davidson Wildcats

East Tennessee State Buccaneers

Eastern Washington Eagles

Florida A&M Rattlers

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Louisville Cardinals

Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Oregon State Beavers

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

South Florida Bulls

Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles

Texas A&M Aggies

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Virginia Tech Hokies

Washington State Cougars

That may be more than a couple, but what about rating these?

Thank you.

[winghaz]

OK, you requested it, you got it:

Baylor Bears: B-minus. Too generic, but gets a slightly higher mark than a C for the illiteration.

Davidson Wildcats: C. All Wildcats nicknames get Cs.

East Tennessee State Buccaneers: B-minus. Buccaneers in East Tennessee? That doesn't make sense to me, but I may be missing something.

Eastern Washington Eagles: B. Good nickname for Eastern Washington. Would be higher except Eagles is a bit generic.

Florida A&M Rattlers: Before I rate this, I need to ask: Are there many rattlesnakes in Florida? If so, then this gets an A. If not, then this gets a B-minus.

Gonzaga Bulldogs: C. All Bulldogs nicknames get Cs.

Louisville Cardinals: D. Cardinals is hardly a powerful nickname, and you don't think of Cardinals when you think of the city of Louisville.

Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders: B-minus. A powerful nickname, but doesn't say anything about Tennessee.

Oklahoma State Cowboys: A. Fantastic nickname. Powerful and very representative of the state. Doesn't get the A-plus that Wyoming got, but that's because Wyoming has the cowboy logo on its license plates.

Oregon State Beavers: A-minus. Great nickname for the Beaver State. Gets an A-minus instead of an A because a beaver isn't the most fearsome critter on the planet, and what do you call the women's teams?

Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Was mentioned in the first post.

South Florida Bulls: B. Good nickname. Not a lot of colleges nicknamed Bulls. But does it represent South Florida?

Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles: B. See Eastern Washington. I could picture eagles in Tennessee, especially in the mountainous areas.

Texas A&M Aggies: F. All Aggies nicknames get Fs, even if they are ag colleges. Horrible nickname. Might as well call them Plow Jockeys. I can think of a lot of better nicknames for ag colleges.

Texas Tech Red Raiders: C. Powerful, but not representative of Texas.

Virginia Tech Hokies: B-. OK, a hokie is just a turkey, but this is such a unique nickname that it deserves this high a mark.

Washington State Cougars: B. Same rule applies as Eastern Washington.

[leedsunited]

OK, you requested it, you got it:

Baylor Bears: B-minus. Too generic, but gets a slightly higher mark than a C for the illiteration.

Davidson Wildcats: C. All Wildcats nicknames get Cs.

East Tennessee State Buccaneers: B-minus. Buccaneers in East Tennessee? That doesn't make sense to me, but I may be missing something.

Eastern Washington Eagles: B. Good nickname for Eastern Washington. Would be higher except Eagles is a bit generic.

Florida A&M Rattlers: Before I rate this, I need to ask: Are there many rattlesnakes in Florida? If so, then this gets an A. If not, then this gets a B-minus.

Gonzaga Bulldogs: C. All Bulldogs nicknames get Cs.

Louisville Cardinals: D. Cardinals is hardly a powerful nickname, and you don't think of Cardinals when you think of the city of Louisville.

Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders: B-minus. A powerful nickname, but doesn't say anything about Tennessee.

Oklahoma State Cowboys: A. Fantastic nickname. Powerful and very representative of the state. Doesn't get the A-plus that Wyoming got, but that's because Wyoming has the cowboy logo on its license plates.

Oregon State Beavers: A-minus. Great nickname for the Beaver State. Gets an A-minus instead of an A because a beaver isn't the most fearsome critter on the planet, and what do you call the women's teams?

Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Was mentioned in the first post.

South Florida Bulls: B. Good nickname. Not a lot of colleges nicknamed Bulls. But does it represent South Florida?

Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles: B. See Eastern Washington. I could picture eagles in Tennessee, especially in the mountainous areas.

Texas A&M Aggies: F. All Aggies nicknames get Fs, even if they are ag colleges. Horrible nickname. Might as well call them Plow Jockeys. I can think of a lot of better nicknames for ag colleges.

Texas Tech Red Raiders: C. Powerful, but not representative of Texas.

Virginia Tech Hokies: B-. OK, a hokie is just a turkey, but this is such a unique nickname that it deserves this high a mark.

Washington State Cougars: B. Same rule applies as Eastern Washington.

Wait, so Wildcat nicknames earn a straight-across C, but Eagles gets merit?

[Gothamite]

Yeah, some of the criteria seem really bizarre.

Still waiting to hear why "Michigan Wolverines" gets an A-minus (because "Powerful nickname and it's the Wolverine state"), "Oregon State Beavers" also gets an A-minus ("Great nickname for the Beaver State"), and "Wisconsin Badgers" gets a D.

[leedsunited]

Yeah, some of the criteria seem really bizarre.

Still waiting to hear why "Michigan Wolverines" gets an A-minus (because "Powerful nickname and it's the Wolverine state"), "Oregon State Beavers" also gets an A-minus ("Great nickname for the Beaver State"), and "Wisconsin Badgers" gets a D.

What kind of unprovoked anti-badger bias is this?

[doafhat]

Texas Tech Red Raiders: C. Powerful, but not representative of Texas.

I'll disagree with you a bit there. Red Raiders may not be representative of the entire state of Texas (there are few mascots that really can), but it's a pretty unique and fitting name for a university like Tech out in west Texas. Once upon a less-PC time, "Red Raider" was a nickname used in Texas and Oklahoma for Comanche Indians and other tribes of the southwest that raided forts and other settlements in that part of the American frontier. Texas Tech has removed pretty much any association with the Red Raider name to Native Americans by emphasizing the Masked Rider and the double-T logo, so it's understandable that a lot of people don't make the connection.

[footballfiji]

The more and more I see your comments on these schools...the more I realize you have absolutely no idea about history, critiquing, or possibly anything in general.

[Brian in Boston]

University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen and Minutewomen

University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs

University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks

Bridgewater State College Bears

Fitchburg State College Falcons

Framingham State College Rams

Salem State College Vikings

Westfield State College Owls

Worcester State College Lancers

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Trailblazers

Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buccaneers

Bunker Hill Community College Bulldogs

Holyoke Community College Cougars

MassBay Community College Buccaneers

Massasoit Community College Warriors

Northern Essex Community College Knights

Quinsigamond Community College Chiefs and Lady Chiefs

Springfield Technical Community College Rams

[winghaz]

The more and more I see your comments on these schools...the more I realize you have absolutely no idea about history, critiquing, or possibly anything in general.

Look, I don't mind disagreements with my opinions. That's one of the reasons people make posts -- to draw fair debate.

But personal attacks like this are just cheap shots, and usually cheap shots to try and make yourself look superior.

I have enjoyed most of the comments, including most of the disagreements, about my original post. But nobody likes to be put down, including myself. Please, if you have something to say about this, then say it and why you believe that way instead of resorting to cheap shots.

[andyb7290]

winghaz: No :censored:ing clue what he's talking about; F.

Agreed I give the list an F

[Proc]

There are no wolverines native to Michigan. However, the Michigan regiments in the Civil War were referred to as "wolverines" for their tenacity and ferocity in battle.

And Gothamite...Badgers is a great nickname. Gophers, Badgers and Wolverines...oh my. Rodents Rule the Big Ten!!!

-Proc, Michigan Class of '88

[footballfiji]

The more and more I see your comments on these schools...the more I realize you have absolutely no idea about history, critiquing, or possibly anything in general.

Look, I don't mind disagreements with my opinions. That's one of the reasons people make posts -- to draw fair debate.

But personal attacks like this are just cheap shots, and usually cheap shots to try and make yourself look superior.

I have enjoyed most of the comments, including most of the disagreements, about my original post. But nobody likes to be put down, including myself. Please, if you have something to say about this, then say it and why you believe that way instead of resorting to cheap shots.

I've already said it. Numerous posters on this thread have said it. I haven't found one post in this thread saying, "My, what a great and informative list" or "I agree completely". Most of the criticisms have been for the same reasons.

You've had four pages discussing why most of these criticisms are unfounded on multiple levels, including which schools you picked as "flagship" schools, why you allow some "generic" nicknames higher grades than others, and why you felt a nickname doesn't represent a state/school (when on multiple occasions the nickname was chosen because of a certain historical events)

That was not a cheap shot. The problems I have with the list are the criticisms. If there was any research into why these schools chose their nicknames/mascots and not generically looking at a list of names and saying "oh that's cool, no that's too generic" it would be different. However, when the majority of the criticisms become pot shots at the school or the mascot then it's not a good list. (case in point saying any school with 'Aggie' as a nickname might as well be called 'plow jockies'"

When you start knocking a school you are gonna have people defend those schools. I would also say that when you see a school nickname...chances are there is a little history behind the nickname and the didn't say "wow that nickname sounds cool". (Examples: LSU, Delaware, Duke, South Carolina all got their nicknames from Military Battalions and not the animal)

[Mingjai]

There are no wolverines native to Michigan. However, the Michigan regiments in the Civil War were referred to as "wolverines" for their tenacity and ferocity in battle.

And Gothamite...Badgers is a great nickname. Gophers, Badgers and Wolverines...oh my. Rodents Rule the Big Ten!!!

-Proc, Michigan Class of '88

I enjoy college nicknames that coincide with state nicknames, state birds, state animals, etc. Golden Gophers, Badgers, Wolverines, Hawkeyes, Buckeyes, Hoosiers, Sooners, Terrapins, Tar Heels, Golden Bears, Bruins, Blue Hens are very fitting of the state in which they are located.

One point of order, though: Unlike gophers, badgers and wolverines are not rodents--I believe they are in the same family as weasels, mink, ferrets, otters, and skunks.

Groundhog! Groundhog!

Stand, Old Ivy, stand firm and strong.

Grand Old Ivy, hear the cheering throng.

Stand, Old Ivy, and never yield.

Rip, rip, rip the Chipmunk off the field.

[footballfiji]

There are no wolverines native to Michigan. However, the Michigan regiments in the Civil War were referred to as "wolverines" for their tenacity and ferocity in battle.

And Gothamite...Badgers is a great nickname. Gophers, Badgers and Wolverines...oh my. Rodents Rule the Big Ten!!!

-Proc, Michigan Class of '88

I enjoy college nicknames that coincide with state nicknames, state birds, state animals, etc. Golden Gophers, Badgers, Wolverines, Hawkeyes, Buckeyes, Hoosiers, Sooners, Terrapins, Tar Heels, Golden Bears, Bruins, Blue Hens are very fitting of the state in which they are located.

One point of order, though: Unlike gophers, badgers and wolverines are not rodents--I believe they are in the same family as weasels, mink, ferrets, otters, and skunks.

Groundhog! Groundhog!

Stand, Old Ivy, stand firm and strong.

Grand Old Ivy, hear the cheering throng.

Stand, Old Ivy, and never yield.

Rip, rip, rip the Chipmunk off the field.

Minnesota screws it up anyway. Their mascot is a gopher:

Yet their logo is a Chipmunk/Ground Squirrel.

Note the tail stripes:

[Spearhead]

"Red Raider" was a nickname used in Texas and Oklahoma for Comanche Indians and other tribes of the southwest that raided forts and other settlements in that part of the American frontier. Texas Tech has removed pretty much any association with the Red Raider name to Native Americans by emphasizing the Masked Rider and the double-T logo, so it's understandable that a lot of people don't make the connection.

Problem is, Red Raiders never meant Indians. Also, it was not the primary nickname for Texas Tech.

In a nutshell: Tech was originally the Matadors, but in the 1930s their football coach, Pete Cawthon, changed the name to Red Raiders to reflect the school's colors. His uniforms were pretty flashy/gauty for the 1930s but the jerseys, pants and headgear were all red. Since then Texas Tech's teams have been known as "The Red Raiders of the Plains." That is why Tech has had a masked rider instead of any kind of indian mascot. Too often, people confuse them with the Colgate Red Raiders, whose colors are actually maroon and had an indian mascot.

Cawthon, who was a tough SOB, thought Matadors were cruel to animals and thus changed the name

[LimeGuy]

In light of a lot of comments about nicknames in general, I decided to rate the different nicknames for each state's main university.

The best nicknames represent their state or state history well and appear powerful.

On three of them -- Louisiana, Ohio and Pennslvania -- I'm going with Louisiana State, Ohio State and Penn State because they are generally considered their state's main univer ities. On New Jersey, I'm going with Rutgers because I can't find a University of New Jersey.

North Dakota Fighting Sioux: A-minus. Great name, but I can think of even better tribes from North Dakota that are more worthy, such as the Mandans, the Arikara and the Hidatsa. If you're not PC, that is.

The main college/university for ND is NDSU Bison, they are a larger school and are Division 1.

On a side note, the Mandans, Arikara and Hidatsa ARE Sioux. They are mostly known as the "Three Affiliated Tribes" and are split on whether or not UND (the Fighting Sioux) should be using the name.